Why we’re so fond of these deers

THE primal roar of the stags is echoing around the hills and valleys of Killarney these days, confirming the mating (rutting) season for the area’s native Red deer.

It’s an unmistakeable sound that can be heard several times a minute and can carry for five kilometres in calm conditions.

This is also a good time to go deer watching; a time when visitors come to Killarney National Park and surrounding areas in the hope of getting a close-up look at these majestic animals, believed to be direct descendants of the old native Irish Red deer. The best way to get a look is probably through organised deer walks by groups such as the Kerry Deer Society. Deer are a huge attraction. Killarney Golf Course has a resident herd of 40 to 50.